We’ve been saddened today to hear that Jan Kaplicky, the award-winning architect behind pioneering buildings such as Selfridges in Birmingham and the Media Centre at Lord’s cricket ground, has died suddenly at the age of 71.
Jan Kaplicky was the man behind architectural and design practice Future Systems, famous worldwide for its organic, curvy space-age designs.
In 2007, Future Systems won an international design competition for the new building of the Czech National Library in Prague. The library would have been Kaplicky’s first building in his homeland, but its radical design – dubbed “the octopus” and “the blob” – was opposed by a number of Czech leaders, leading to uncertainty over its future.
But Kaplicky will undoubtedly be remembered for his successes. The Media Centre at Lords won the coveted RIBA Stirling Prize in 1999 – and despite (or maybe because of) the controversy it attracts, the Selfridges building at the Bullring has been taken to the hearts of the people of Birmingham, at last giving the city an architectural landmark to be proud of.
Kaplicky’s death is already making ripples throughout the industry. His innovation in design will certainly be sorely missed.
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This is really a sad loss, and the circumstances surrounding his death are genuinely tragic. As for Selfridges in Birmingham, love it or hate it (and I fall into the former category), I am eternally grateful to him for putting my home city very firmly on the map.
Just sad news, dude.
But we know that amazing professionals neve die instead.
Best regards!
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